Midnight Mania! Max Holloway on ‘the shortlist’ for Conor McGregor’s return

Welcome to Midnight Mania!

Max Holloway wants a high-profile fight.

The top-ranked Featherweight contender is currently riding a two-fight win streak, but there’s nowhere for the former champion to climb. He’s already lost three times to current champion Alexander Volkanovski, and there just isn’t a huge demand for a fourth match at the moment. Meanwhile, UFC is tired of the Hawaiian killing off contenders, so up-and-comers like Ilia Topuria can skip the “Blessed” challenge.

There’s a reason he’s calling out Justin Gaethje for a BMF title defense. There just aren’t many exciting options for Holloway at 145 pounds until Volkanovski loses the belt. Perhaps the most intriguing Lightweight option, however, would be a Conor McGregor rematch.

The two first fought over ten years ago in August 2013. McGregor won a clear-cut unanimous decision and was in the midst of his run to the top, whereas Holloway was about to go on his title-winning 13-fight win streak. For years, there’s been a mutual respect and interest in running it back.

That’s why Holloway feels he’s on the shortlist as McGregor’s return opponent, and it wouldn’t shock him if UFC switches courses from the current Michael Chandler plan.

“Conor McGregor fights who he wants to fight and I’m always on the shortlist for him,” Holloway told ESPN (via MMAJunkie). “It probably irks him that I was the only man that he didn’t get to put away in the featherweight division, so we’ll see. I have nothing but respect for the guy. I’m glad he’s coming back. It’s going to be great for the sport that he’s coming back.

“A lot of people are saying (Michael) Chandler, but if you think Dana White has a nasty curveball, Conor’s curveball is way more nasty than his. At the end of the day, we’ll see what happens. I’m always on the shortlist for the dude. I’m just glad that there is talks of him coming back and we’ll wait to see when the talk is. Everything is talk until it’s not, until he’s making that walk to the octagon.”

Who should “Blessed” face next?

Insomnia

Ryan Garcia and Shakur Stevenson are beefing on Twitter after Stevenson’s stinker last week. Would you watch that fight?

Won my 3rd world tittle in a different weight class my guy.. Let’s speak facts u have never won a real World tittle thru out yo whole career congrats on the money u made but u can’t tie my shoes when we talking boxing – And that money don’t last forever do sum smart wit it cuz https://t.co/wsV9YVAPcS

— Shakur Stevenson (@ShakurStevenson) November 20, 2023

Francis Ngannou vs. Deontay Wilder would be awesome, but MIXED RULES would be downright must-see craziness.

Another update from the UFC Anti-Trust Lawsuit:

Potentially huge. Court not only denies Zuffa’s (UFC’s) motions to re-open discovery but also says – if I’m reading this right – that the Court may rule on injunctive relief if Le Plaintiffs prevail. pic.twitter.com/c4kccSSA5b

— John S. Nash (@heynottheface) November 20, 2023

That’s damages. Injunctive relief would be asking the court to impose some restraints on the UFC’s behavior.

— John S. Nash (@heynottheface) November 20, 2023

Jared Gordon nearly suffered a preemptive knockout loss at UFC 295.

Congratulations to Stephen Thompson on his latest belt promotion! A truly lifelong martial artist.

Jiri Prochazka is back to work after his loss to Alex Pereira.

Slips, rips, and KO clips

A pair of precise connections bring about a brutal stoppage.

Got caught standing too still and too tall.

The Conor McGregor special (but Orthodox right over Southpaw left instead of the opposite).

Random Land

An interest consequence of social media is that I’ve learned a lot about rare lobsters.

Midnight Music: Danny Brown, my favorite rapper of the last 10 years or so, dropped his latest LP, Quaranta, last Friday. It’s a sober look at aging in the rap game, and it features less high-pitched voice antics than usual.

Sleep well Maniacs! More martial arts madness is always on the way.